Divergent Drabble Collection
by Halcyon.Promise
Summary: A collection of prompts or fic requests from tumblr that don't fit into any of my established timelines. Chapters, unless otherwise stated, are unrelated. Pairings will likely focus mostly on EricxOC and FourxOC. Occasional RPF writings will also be posted.
1. Dares - M, FourxOC

_A/N: Movie time-frame, set pre-Tris. Anon prompt requested a smutty Four one-shot. I'm working on a new style (shorter, less narration-heavy) so this reads a little awkwardly to me. Sorry about that! You can find me on tumblr at ParadigmFlaws. I'm generally always accepting fic requests or prompts._

She reached out, her hands grasping his forearms. The hold was anchored with nails, her hips rolling desperately against his. A high pitched whimper caught in the back of her throat as Four remained unrelenting. Not even her heels, now pressing firmly into his ass, had convinced him to thrust faster. Alcohol and desire fanned her arousal, her muscles clamping tightly around his cock.

Feeling it, Four's slow rhythm drew to a halt, his hips pressed flush against hers. She scored her nails down his muscled forearms. "Damn you, Four! Don't you dare-!"

He did. Rolling against her only slightly to increase the pressure, he put a knee into his mattress to bring himself higher over her. She shuddered at the changing pressure, clenching around him again.

"Four!"

Finally, he moved. Pulling back so far that the head of his cock almost slipped out of her, she keened and bucked wildly at the perceived threat of a withdrawal. It was an unnecessary concern. Four pushed back into her, more strongly this time, withdrew - repeated the action. It was enough to drive her arousal higher, keening noises slipping out between her lips. In desperation, she took one hand from his forearm, shoving it down to where they were joined, and stroked her clit.

She trembled, muscles tensing throughout her entire body. The tightness that coiled within her belly finally released as she came, her orgasm coming in waves that had her clenching around him with an agonizing tightness. Four couldn't take the additional sensation. He shuddered over her as his orgasm hit, his forearms dropping to the mattress beside her head to prevent from crushing her underneath him.

The aftermath of arousal was a comforting sensation, lethargy creeping over them both. Edged with alcohol, it was enough for her drop back to his mattress, supine, as her eyes fluttered shut. Only marginally more sober, Four shoved himself over with his arms, falling onto his back beside her.


	2. If We Fell - M, Jai CourtneyxOC

_A/N: This is a Divergent RPF story focusing on Jai Courtney. It is rated M. Something from my own mind (not a prompt). You can find me on tumblr at paradigmflaws. I'm generally always accepting prompts or requests! Come say hello!_

Voices muted into a dull roar. No one's words were distinguishable over atone else's. Piano music was a poignant accent, sometimes below the tones of humanity, sometimes above. The wall of sound had become overwhelming.

There was clearly only one logical choice left.

She glanced around the room for a moment. Her friend had disappeared into the fray hours ago. The charity was worthwhile (which was why she had even been coerced into appearing in the first place) but as the clock ticked past eleven, she wondered when she might be able to slip out of the venue. Not soon enough, unfortunately - which left the woman making a sharp track towards the bar.

At least it was open-bar, she concluded.

The choice led to her current straits, as it were. Leaning against the bar and finishing her drink, she moved to make her retreat. It was stymied by a hand being placed against the bar, the man's body leaning close to her. For a moment, she didn't respond. She didn't shift, wouldn't look at him.

If she refused to acknowledge him, perhaps he would cease to exist? It was a fool's wish, but all the same. The sentiment resonated desperately in her thoughts. The smell of alcohol seeped into her senses as he pushed closer.

"I see you've gone dry," the man began. He was grinning. "Let me fix you up with another."

She offered him a tight smile. "No, thanks. I was getting ready to," and she might have continued if she hadn't been abruptly cut off.

"It's no problem," he interjected easily. The hand on the bar shifted, his palm a hot pressure at her waist. "I got this."

She twisted away. "No," she replied. It was more emphatic this time. As she ducked away from the bar, she heard the easy male laughter behind her. Bubbles of anxiety roiled in her stomach as she pressed through the room. The black suede pumps clicked against the floor of the hall.

The open floor plan made it hard to find a corner to tuck herself away in. Encased in glass, the modern wing of the Art Institute made for a striking site. It was a beautiful place for a charity event, the city lights outside creating a beautiful contrast with the dark of the sky above. However, now, she was ready to curse the location.

Cutting through a group of people, she breathed a sigh of relief as she settled against the glass. It was cool relief against her skin. Despite the sense of being warm, though, she felt a chill settle in her stomach. Gooseflesh rose on her arms and she trembled. Fingers picked listlessly at the sheer lace of the half-sleeves of her cocktail dress.

It was a nervous tell. Realizing what she was doing, the woman tried to convince herself to stop. Curling her fingers around her forearm, a deep inhalation was silent invocation against anxiety.

The tactic might have worked on another day.

"There you are."

She flinched. Turning her grey eyes to the man who had followed her from the bar, her lips were pressed into a severe line, only emphasized further by the deep red lipstick. "Please leave me alone."

He laughed. "Don't be that way. What's a drink between new friends?"

"Go away," she replied, her voice becoming more curt. His insistence was grating, a suffocating, cloying presence that lingered in her awareness and seemed set to smother her. She held onto herself tighter, even as her posture became rigidly erect. Her spine backed into the glass of the window behind her as she drew herself up to her full height - and it was enough to look the man in the eye.

She almost wished she hadn't. His affability had faded into an expression of growing irritation. "Don't be such a bitch. It's just a drink."

She clenched her jaw and glanced - just for a moment - over her shoulder to the darkness of the city beyond. Swallowing thickly, her shoulders were squared and rigid as she prepared for what seemed an inevitable confrontation.

"Lay off, man," a new voice interrupted. It was light, deceptively affable. She startled, jarred by the Australian accent. Looking back to the two men that now had loosely arranged themselves in her space, she couldn't help but blink.

The first man scoffed. "Just having a bit of fun with a friend."

This, though, she could disabuse. Swallowing thickly and choking back her unease, she found herself keeping eye contact with the newest arrival. "He is not my friend."

Enough had been enough. The drink she hadn't been interested in accepting at first (and had absolutely no intention of taking from him now that it had been left in his care) was slammed down on a high table, one of dozens that had been brought in to scatter around the periphery of the room. "And you're a fucking bitch. You think you're hot enough to be able to turn down anyone you'd li-"

He was cut off abruptly.

All things considered, she thought, it was the most sensible choice. When confronted with a man several inches taller and a figure that was heavy with muscle, the smartest option seemed to be to be mindful of his reactions. And oh, how he had reacted.

He had little regard for personal space, shifting to loom over the other man. His lips had curved into a scowl, his brows drawn into an expression of - what was it? Distaste? Temper? She couldn't quite say, but the tension in their ill-formed group was tangible enough to be cut with a knife. She winced at the thought.

Impulsively, she reached out. Her hand tentatively brushed against the coat sleeve of the australian. "It's alright."

He shot a dark look at the other man. "The hell it is," he muttered.

"Seriously," she pressed, her voice dropping even lower. "Thank you. But it's alright."

Her reply seemed to stoke the flames of his ire. She could see a tic in his jaw when he clenched it. Still, the pacifying touch on his forearm seemed to break up his temper. He sighed heavily, rolling his eyes. It was an expression of disgust, as he shifted back from the other man. "Piss off," he…advised.

Apparently not a fool (only an opportunist? she wondered) he was all too happy to duck back into the press of people in the crowd. She lost sight of him within a handful of seconds, even though her eyes tried to trail the figure for far longer. It was only after she felt the disconcerting sensation that she was being observed that her attention jolted back to the rest of the situation, which had yet to deconstruct itself.

Grey eyes jumped back to the foreign man. He was regarding her inscrutably, although the hostility had ebbed away into something less temperamental. A smile unexpectedly lightened his features.

Less temperamental, but no less forward, she realized as she swallowed down the heart that seemed to have lodged in her throat. Realizing with a jolt that she hadn't removed her fingertips from his sleeve, she went to yank her hand back.

It was a realization a second too late as his free hand came up to press hers down over his arm. His thumb curled around to stroke the inside of her wrist. It was a surprisingly gentle touch for a man that seemed to have such an overwhelmingly large presence.

"I'm Jai." Affability, coupled with that grin, was a devastating combination.

The combination might have been lethal for anyone. She, however, was drawn more by the fact that when she subtly tested his hold on her hand, she found his hold inescapable. A flutter of malcontent rose in her breast. As before, however, instead of yielding to the concern she roused her courage and squared off against the man. "Thank you for your help."

He only laughed.

Instead of causing offense, of evoking unease, she found herself relaxing at the sound. In wordless reply, she smiled ruefully with a shrug. "Sorry. A little stiff there, but, well," and she broke off, uncertain of how to continue.

Jai dropped her hand after a final last brush of his fingers at her wrist. "I understand," he interjected, calmness restored.

For a moment they lingered at a precipice. She thought, she could turn away now, walk away without anyone to stop her, and it would have stopped there. Or..? Was there another road? She found that her attention remained centered on the man so newly introduced, inquisitiveness and a touch of something other stirring, overwhelming the simple mood of gratitude.

"You've already turned down a drink." Jai's voice as lighter with humor now. "Willing to chance dancing with me, instead?"

A refusal was quick in her mind, but her lips seemed to choke on the word. The excuse. Any excuse. There were a number - she was a poor dancer. There were too many people! She needed to leave..but the responses couldn't come to voice. Instead, she found herself - against all reason, against any sense - smiling slightly.

Take a chance, her friend had pushed at her, before disappearing when they entered the venue.

"I'd like that."

Of course, dancing might have been a misnomer. It was something she commented on wryly some time later. His reply was equally dry - what did she think he was, English? She had laughed at the quip, settling more comfortably into him. The intimacy of touch migrated in such a way as to seem so slow as to be unnoticeable And yet in a single moment, the brush of his fingertips on the bare skin of her thighs where the lace of her dress ended branded awareness into her senses.

Jai didn't skirt shyly away from it, either. They had stopped their mimicry of a dance earlier. She was certain that the mask she had created earlier - painstakingly layered foundation, eyeliner and shadow, lipstick and mascara - would have faded away. Midnight had rolled past, but she no longer stared wistfully out at the city lights beyond the windows. His palm curved loosely around her thigh.

Shameless. It stayed there as if it had the right to be there. Perhaps it did. He glanced down at her, consideration chasing away the light-hearted humor that had kept her near to him through the late hours of the night.

Their banter faded under the intensity of his regard. Instead of withering under it, her own frank regard met his.

"Come back to my room?"

"Yes," she had replied, the word heavy with the weight of implication, of understanding, of expectation.

Departing was an effortless thing. His fingers abandoned their torturous attention to the sensitive skin of her outer thigh. Instead, Jai's hand curved lightly around her waist, the thickness of his forearm a shelter and a guide in one. They broke out to the sidewalk, the street noises dimming the sounds of voices that they had left, the music in the rooms they had stepped out from.

She ducked into the cab first. A sharp bolt of self consciousness made her undertake the endeavor with a modicum of grace. The shorter dress and taller heels made for a challenge but it was one she was up to. As he folded his larger body into the seat and gave the hotel's name to the driver, his hand reached out to reassert its position on her body.

This time, Jai's fingers trailed lightly down from the nape of her neck. The loose fall of her hair covered his touch. All the same, he unerringly found the light V in the back of her dress, tracing the edge of the fabric. Fingers played lightly with the top of the zipper.

Promise was etched into every touch. Despite the intimacy though, they didn't so much as kiss. Not in the cab, anyway.

It changed as they paced through the hotel lobby. Pushing a button to his floor with more force than she might have considered strictly necessary, Jai settled to lean back against the wall of the elevator. His jacket was still buttoned up, although the white shirt underneath was unbuttoned at the throat. Stubble shadowed his cheeks and throat in an intentional affect.

He caught her studying look and his restive frustration broke into a chuckle. Jai seemed prepared to make a comment on it.

Fortunately (for the both of them) he didn't get so far. Smoothing her hand up the breast of his coat, she rocked up onto her toes. It wasn't much further to go, given the elevation of her spiked heels. Attaining her desired elevation, her other hand came to rest on his shoulder.

Her lips pressed against his, a light pressure that was chaste until Jai responded. Curling one arm behind her, pressing his forearm into the small of her back to pull her closer and letting his other hand drift to cup the back of a thigh, he kissed her harder, lips parting against hers. It lasted for drawn out seconds before he drew up, nipping her lip in passing, taking the time to kiss her jaw.

The sharp ding of the elevator interrupted them. "Christ," Jai breathed out on a groan. He pulled her out, his longer strides leaving her nearly racing down the hallway beside him.

He dealt with the key slot efficiently, shoving the door open and kicking it shut behind them. A light was switched on and as she stepped further into the room, she glanced over her shoulder and laughed.

"Oh my god," she managed to gasp out. "Jai." She reached out, her thumb brushing over his lips. It only served to smear the sharp slash of red that her lipstick had left on his lips. "Let me just," but she was cut off as his hands reached out to curl around her waist.

Pulling her closer, he leaned down to press a domineering kiss against her lips. Holding her against him, he drew back. "You are not going to make us wait longer."

Laughing, she wrapped her arms up around behind the back of his neck. Using her newfound stability against his chest to kiss along the strong column of his neck, she only paused to murmur, "I wouldn't dream of it," against his skin.

He shivered at the warm brush of air against his neck.

Jai reached up under her hair. This time, when his fingers found the zipper to her dress the tab was pulled down all the way. It wasn't hasty, the teeth parting slowly, with deliberate intention. Her skin was bared to the cool air of the hotel and when the zipper had been undone the whole way down, it was only the tight lace of her half-sleeves that kept it on. Modest in front, she was completely bare in back.

His hand savagely exploited the exposure, running up her spine to curl around the back of her neck and holding her still for another of his kisses that swept in and stole sense, stole reason, identity, robbed thought, from her being. It didn't steal her purpose, though. As his hands played gently with the newfound skin, occasionally curling further around her side, reaching around her waist and ribcage, her own fingers had found the buttons to his jacket. Beyond that, the smaller, more demanding buttons of his shirt were being dealt with.

Reaching down to unbuckle his belt, she left it hanging from his belt loops as her fingers fisted in the fabric of his shirt. Yanking it from the waist of his pants, she shoved it and the jacket down his arms. Jai was forced to pause his investigation of the sensitive skin only so newly exposed to shrug them off the rest of the way. Arms newly freed, he nudged her around and drew her back with his hands at her waist.

Sitting at the edge of the bed he drew her back between his spread legs. Leaning forward, she shivered as she felt his stubble brush against the small of her back. "Oh, God," she breathed softly.

"Not even close."

There wasn't even a bra band hindering his investigation of her back, his lips tracing kisses up her spine. Her breathing was shallower, hitching as he occasionally rasped red streaks into the pale, sensitive skin with his facial hair. She shivered, her hands clamping down on his, where they settled around her waist. Catching her breath, she leaned back into him, shutting her eyes.

It wasn't as if he could see her face, she thought, even as her head tilted back in tandem with a breathy sigh.

The strength of Jai's hands and arms was considerable. It was enough to pull her down into him, her only purchase leaning against his chest. Her own bare back met with his exposed skin and the chill of the hotel air conditioning was chased away in a flash. Her head leaned back against his shoulder and she moved her hands to rest on the top of his thighs.

He leaned forward to suck a mark into the crook of her neck, and her fingers bit into the heavy muscle over his legs. "Please," she bit out, desperation etched into the tone as she shifted her hips insistently against him. She could feel the thick ridge of his cock pressing against her, although too many layers of clothing separated them.

Jai nipped at the mark he had made even as he chuckled. It wasn't light humor, though. Patience was straining even his goodnatured approach. "You want something?"

"Yes," she bit out, her voice cutting into something closer to a snarl. His humor had the opposite effect on her. "I want you to tell me you have a condom in this room and that you're not just teasing me to death."

Purpose was a static shock to both of them. She stumbled as she found herself set away from the bed, released from the inexorable progression of his touches. Jai had launched himself up from the edge of the bed, his shoes kicked aside, and the rest of his clothes following. Unabashedly naked before her, he flung a foil packet to the bedside table.

She hadn't progressed beyond turning to stare at him. The elegant lines that his evening wear had been imposing - but somehow, without clothes, he only managed to become even moreso. Muscle roped thickly along every part of his body.

Her breath caught in her throat as he took the single step necessary to bring himself next to her. Jai's fingers reached down, threading into the neckline of the dress. Her sleeves turned inside out as they peeled down her arms. He moved reverently, almost as if he were afraid of tearing the lace of the dress - or as if he were unwrapping a package that had been marked as fragile.

Her underwear, however, he had no such regard for. Kicking her stiletto heels off (how had they lasted this long, she wondered?) as he yanked the scrap of fabric down her legs she found herself hoisted against him, lifted up so he didn't even have to lean down to press his lips to hers again.

As Jai drew back, her breath caught on a whimper. "Please," she begged, fingernails scoring lines down his back.

It was all that he could take. They landed on the bed. She hit the covers on her stomach, although she wasn't there for more than a second before a hand at her ankle dragged her back closer to the edge. She heard the tear of foil and glanced over her shoulder to see Jai roll the condom over his erection. Her pulse pounded in her ears.

His free hand traced up her leg to curl underneath her, cupping her abdomen to bring her to her knees. Parting her legs, his fingers stroked between her legs to part her with a deceptively gentle touch. Feeling her own slickness, he groaned. She was already wet for him, growing wetter as his fingertip circled lightly around her clit.

When his hand moved to her hip, she found herself held immobile with his grasp on either hip. And still he did nothing, and they were motionless other than her body, shivering with expectation.

Finally, she broke the silence. "Fuck me, please."

"Yes," Jai rumbled, coming down around her. His hands pressed into the mattress beside her own and he pushed into her. His breath caught as she clenched around him. Clenching his jaw, he snapped his against her again and he heard her low groan of pleasure.

For a moment, he pressed down. His chest was flush against her back, arms caging hers as his pace remained steady. Firm, deep, and slow, her hips bucked back underneath him in desperate encouragement. Letting his head drop, Jai pressed his lips against the unmarked skin on her upper back, the nape of her neck, around the shoulder that he hadn't sucked a bruise into.

Setting his teeth to the skin there, he nipped sharply as he thrust harder.

Her elbows slid out from underneath her as she rocked back against him. Her fingers curled into the bedspread, and he shifted to brush his hands along her own. Trailing his fingers up her arm, loosely spanning the nape of her neck, before dragging down her back before they settled at her hips, she shivered at the combined stimulation of his unshakable rhythm and the play of his fingers.

It was only as his hands closed on her hips, enough to keep her still, that his pace increased. She felt his cock nudge against something, something that caused a twisting inside of her, as she shuddered against him. She clamped down more tightly around him, sobbing for breath as her back arched.

He felt the spasmodic fluttering of her muscles around him, could feel that she was close. Hearing her cry out, the noise catching in her throat as she gasped when he drove into her again, Jai's hand reached down between her thighs, stroking lightly over her lit. It was all that it took for her to come, spasming more strongly, and it was enough to push him over the edge.

Curled over her back, his breath hitched as he came.

For a moment, a pang of guilt shot through him. His weight had pressed her down into the bed as they both fought to catch their breath. Neither seemed particularly inclined to move, and she could feel his heart pounding against her back. Still, Jai shifted first.

Rolling off of her, withdrawing and disposing of the condom, he curled an arm around her as he settled on his back. She was drawn close against his side, her arm resting lightly over his waist as her cheek pillowed on his chest. Still fighting to return his heart to normal, he turned his head to brush a kiss against her forehead.

Time ticked past, and it seemed that the rest of the early morning would while away into true dawn before either of them stirred. Jai had fallen asleep, his arm secure around her. In the dimness of the room, with only the light over the door flicked on, her grey eyes watched the clock pensively.

She pursed her lips. Despite all that had happened that night, the deep stain of red remained. Carefully, she set herself to the task of extricating herself from the bed. It was easier said than done: it required moving his arm, gently as to avoid waking him. Finally rolling off the other edge of the bed, she stood still for a time that she could only measure in heartbeats. Only the sheet over his waist protected him from indecency.

In sleep, Jai's face had softened into something beyond the well dressed, well-spoken man who had intervened on her behalf. It also wasn't quite the man who had laughed boyishly with her, teasing her in turn. It was almost enough to give her pause.

But not quite.

She dressed in a quiet rush. Only the zipper made a sound in the silence of the hotel room, and it wasn't one that was enough to disturb the sleeping man. Finally, she bent down to pick up her shoes in one hand. Padding barefoot to the door, she opened it slowly.

It didn't creak. Still, she paused in the doorframe. The bright light of the hallway cast her in sharp relief and she hesitated on the threshold. A hand rested on the door, knuckles white from how tightly she was holding it. Reality, though, was a cold, creeping thing down her spine. It chased away the lingering ache between her thighs that pulled in the way muscles did after a good run. It chased away the euphoria that fluttered in her breast.

The morning light broke through the curtains in the recesses of the room. With it, beckoned a return to reality.

She stepped through the door and shut it quietly behind her.

And she didn't look back.


	3. If We Fell (pt 2) - Jai Courtney

**A/N: This is a part two to "If We Fell." It may end up being a full-length story, in which case I would have to upload it on ao3 (my username is ParadigmFlaws) as ff doesn't have a RPF story section. As of now, however, this is complete with two parts. You can find me on tumblr at paradigmflaws DOT tumblr DOT com. I'm always accepting requests and prompts!  
**

A beam of sunlight lay across his face, bright and intrusive. It was jarring enough that he stretched, lazily, and felt awareness return to him as he slowly woke.

Perfume lingered tantalizingly in his nostrils. It was spicy, with an edge of sweet. Jai grinned at the memory. It had been at its strongest when his face had been buried between her thighs as his tongue drove her wild. She had writhed, sobbing, begging for a completion that he finally gave her..over, and over again. It had been a good night.

_A/N: This is a part 2 to "If We Fell" and is a Divergent RPF story focusing on Jai Courtney. Also not from a prompt - but I do accept prompts and requests over on tumblr. You can find me at _

He rolled to his side, reaching out with his arm, and opened his eyes all in one motion.

His heartbeat seized for a moment, the fucking thing turning to lead in his chest.

She wasn't there.

Calm was hard to come by as he rolled out of bed. The memory of her perfume and her voice faded as he swept his hotel suite. Her clothes were gone. The bathroom was tidy. There was only a single piece of evidence that she hadn't been a dream: a tissue, stained red with lipstick, crumpled innocuously in the trash bin.

Jai slammed his hand against the wall.

She had disappeared like mist over the water. He didn't even know her name.


	4. Reconciliation - EricxOC

A/N: Prompt for Eric/Reader, a fight, tears, and some lovemaking in the aftermath. You can find me over on tumblr under the username paradigmflaws - I'm pretty much always accepting prompts and requests.

I looked at the clock. It hadn't magically reset itself to an earlier hour. The digital numbers blazed through the dimness that characterized the subterranean parts of the Dauntless compound.

Eric was late. Very late. And I had given him an hour's leeway (could I even consider it a grace period? It had been an hour) to show up even after the time he had promised he would be there.

My heart twisted. Shoving myself off the slab of rock that I had been sitting on, I staggered as my feet hit the floor. I had been seated for too long. Parts of my legs were numb with inactivity. The physical discomfort provided me with a distraction as I made my way through the maze of halls, lit with blue light that illuminated a few square feet before letting the rest of the walkway fade into blackness.

I didn't need the light to guide me.

I knew where I was going. The trek to Eric's office was a familiar one.

My heart used to jump and flutter when I came this way. I was so excited to see him. Lately, though, every step made my heart heavier, as if it were turning to stone in my chest. Anxiety was a new pull in my mind, an unfamiliar voice nagging concerns at me.

'Maybe he's just not interested.' 'It's clear he's not going to give this time.' 'Is this actually a relationship? Is this just okay when it's convenient?'

His office door was shut. I rapped on it with my knuckles, doing my best to ignore the voice. Without waiting for a response, I shouldered it open. He hadn't locked it, this time.

To his credit, Eric made no excuses when he saw me. There wasn't even surprise on his face, which felt like just another solid blow to my stomach. He hadn't forgotten. He just… I couldn't even begin to rationalize it. I couldn't understand it.

The piercing over his eyebrow shifted as he arched it at me, that silent 'well?' expression that made me want to reach over to slap him. If I could have gotten away with it, I might have. My temper was an ineffectual thing though, sliding down a sharp recess into a depressive state. Feeling was a coiled lump in my stomach.

"I'm busy," he told me after a moment, when it became clear I wasn't going to speak immediately. "What do you need?"

His words, their careless cruelty, left me winded. They left me speechless. They left me reeling. Any temper I had kept, embarrassment, shame, had fled into some corner of my soul, and they invited me to join them in their retreat. It didn't matter to him.

I didn't matter.

Tears burned hot in my eyes, although I refused to weep in front of him. "It's nothing," I said, my voice slightly rigid but unshaking. "Forget about it."

I didn't stay to watch his expression as I turned and (carefully - so carefully, with the quietest, most incriminating little click in the world) shut the door behind me. My knuckles were white around the handle.

It took everything that I had to keep my emotions tightly shackled. I wanted to shout, I wanted to scream - but most of all, I just wanted to curl up in a corner, draw my knees up to my chest, and sob. To my credit, I managed to make it to my room, the key almost clumsily unfamiliar in my hand. I couldn't go to his apartment. Not now. I couldn't be surrounded with reminders of him.

Shoving the door shut with a hip, I didn't bother to lock it as I paced over to the ledge by the windows. Collapsing onto it, I finally gave into my need to express my tears.

It didn't matter.

I didn't matter.

In the grand scheme of Eric's life, it was only about what was timely for him, what was convenient.

How long I lingered there in my misery, I couldn't have said. This time there was no digital clock to mock me. Late afternoon light had faded into evening based on the sunlight outside, but that wasn't terribly helpful when the summer days seemed to drag on into an eternity. I should have been hungry, but I wasn't. Nausea was a vague, roiling thing in my gut as tears trailed damp tracks down my face.

I had cried myself out, only to find I still had more tears to shed. I was left exhausted, leaning against the window and staring down sightlessly at the city below. I wanted to be numb. I wanted to excise this part of me that hurt so deeply.

The hand on my shoulder was a surprise. I hadn't heard the door open, didn't hear the steady, firm tread of his boots on my floor. I still knew who it was. The large hand, hot palm, and calloused fingers belonged to no one else other than Eric. His touch was a brand to me - I would always recognize it.

I did not turn around.

Not even when his hand reached up to cup the nape of my neck, his thumb stroking the delicate skin behind my ear. He stood close enough that I could feel the warmth of his body radiating off of him.

He coaxed me to stand, although he let me remain facing the window.

At first, we simply stood there. His fingers trailed reverent paths over my skin, skin that he exposed inch by inch has he pulled clothing aside to reveal it. His head was bowed, lips against my shoulders where he pressed a trail of kisses against the skin there.

We didn't speak.

Even as he coaxed me to kick off my shoes, step out of my pants, could feel the naked heat of him at my back, we didn't try to find the words. Words hurt, I thought. Words deceived.

…I was bad with words. So was he.

What mattered more was what he was trying to say in his touch. His big hands swept down my sides, as if to smooth away the wear of the day. His breath was a promise at my back, coupled with the sacrosanct kisses that he had placed ever so gently at the base of my neck.

When he finally turned me - or I turned myself? We were so tuned to one another, that I couldn't say whose idea it was - I knew his apology for what it was.

Eric would never say the words aloud. But, as he carried me over to the bed that had always been mine, I knew the regrets all the same. He placed me on the mattress, coming over me with the overwhelming presence that he had always possessed. Instead of domineering, though, instead of demanding, taking, conquering, he swept me along to an entirely different tide.

His touches brought me higher, highlighted with reverent kisses and tiny touches over my body. When I finally came, Eric was only moments behind me. Folding himself over me, his forearms braced into the mattress as he rubbed his cheek against mine, I was struck with understanding.

I would never receive an apology - but he had my forgiveness all the same. He would never speak the promises, but I knew of his regret all the same.


	5. Hindsight, Again - Eric

A/N: Eric + Teenagers was the prompt from asirensrage over on tumblr. I miiiight have had a little too much fun with this one. That said: I'm always accepting prompts and requests. You can find me under the username paradigmflaws on tumblr!

_"Fine," he had agreed grudgingly. When she began to explain what she typically did, Eric cut her off. "It's fine. It won't be that complicated."_

Hindsight told him that was where he went wrong. He had agreed. But then - how hard could it have been? Twenty five Dauntless teenagers, most of them eighteen months away from their Choosing ceremony. School had been canceled - the trains were impassable.

Fucking Erudite, shorting out the wiring. Few things were worse than sheer ineptitude.

The Dauntless leader had agreed to take charge of the teenagers. "It will only be for an hour. At most." She was frazzled, desperate to get someone - anyone - to agree. There were other things she had to be doing.

The teenagers had assembled in a loose form of order. At least, what passed for it in Dauntless. The noise was lower than a dull roar (they hadn't quite managed to drown out the sounds of the waterfall in the chasm) and..well. They had seemed orderly. Bored, but compliant.

He would simply take them to a training room. It wasn't often that dependents got attention from a leader of the faction.

They would be thrilled, Eric surmised.

Hindsight indicated that was another place that he had gone wrong.

The training room had become chaos. More than twenty teenage bodies had become impossible for a single adult to keep track of.

Frankly, the situation had been rigged.

One of the bolder boys - he already had a sleeve tattooed from his wrist to his shoulder - had convinced Eric to demonstrate holds that they had seen but never been taught. The Dauntless man had complied, his attention focusing on grips and holds, throws and guards. Several of the boys had proved to be a quick study.

He wasn't surprised. The male Dauntless dependents were - _shit_.

Several of the girls had joined in on observing his demonstration.

Not nearly enough to account for the whole population.

Creases furrowed in his brow as he scowled. The training room was a flurry of motion - some of the boys had partnered off, practicing what they had just been shown. Others…? Eric squinted in disbelief.

One especially charismatic boy found himself in a throng of several of the girls, their laughter almost sounding shrill.

Still more had removed themselves to the bleachers alongside the ring. Those, he dismissed - they weren't going to go anywhere. They were too engrossed in their low murmurs of conversation to pose a problem.

Eric swore.

Stepping back, he attempted to count heads. The size of the room posed a challenge, as the teenagers had spread out - and the fact that they_never stopped moving_ (well, some of them) increased the difficulty tenfold. The man's tally was interrupted as his attention settled on the co-ed group by the punching bags.

"What," he snapped, his voice dripping in ice, "are you doing?"

Eric strode over to the charismatic boy who was now shirtless. All evidence indicated that he had been preparing to shuck off his pants next. The girls, who had been tittering, averted their eyes although they didn't even have the good sense to seem chastised. He narrowed his eyes.

"_Stay. There._" His voice was clipped, as no fewer than three of them shifted, as if they were going to try to slink away. "You. Explain."

The boy grinned, rolling his shoulders in an easy shrug. His shirt - balled into a wad of fabric - hit him in the face as Eric threw it at him. Huffing as he pulled it on, the boy straightened again. "I'm not going to turn down a dare, am I?" His smile was bright against his dark skin, eyes bright with good-humor.

Eric didn't even bother trying to sort that out. "Keep your clothes on. That's an order."

Turning around, the Dauntless man tried to recollect his thoughts. Tally. Counting. Right. What number had he been at?

Fuck it. He'd have to start from the beginning again.

To his credit, Eric earnestly had anticipated being able to take the time to count the heads in the training room. This time, though, he was stopped before he even reached eight. Sprinting to the training mats, the Leader reached the ring just in time to clasp his large hand around a slender wrist. His muscles didn't even twitch as he restrained the punch that the girl had been trying to deliver.

Her opponent, a boy of similar size (smart, Eric analyzed in the back of his mind. If you have to pick a fight, never over-face yourself with a match up) had a split lip. Hauling the girl back against his side, he bodily moved her aside as he shoved himself between them. His shoulder caught the boy's, before the teenager ricocheted off the muscled adult, staggering back a step.

"You bi-" the snarled accusation was cut off as Eric's free hand reached out to grasp his shoulder.

"I don't care what happened," Eric began in a tone of voice that he considered reasonable.

Before he could continue, he was cut off by an outraged gasp. The girl twisted her arm in his grasp, struggling in vain to release herself. "He's being an ass!" Her voice wasn't shrill, not full of the giggles and laughter that he had heard from some of the other girls her age. "You bastard!"

_That_ tone he was familiar with. It was full of lethal intent, her eyes narrowed in a venomous stare that had targeted the boy.

"Enough!"

This time, his voice wasn't level or low. It was practically a roar from the man whose ability to be speak in faux reasonability with a deadly cool tone of voice was sufficient to stymie even the most rambunctious of the Dauntless faction.

Children were defective.

It didn't work on them.

As the two - one in either hand - continued their squabble, Eric made eye contact with the handful of boys who had clustered at the edge of the ring. Nodding them forward, he was more than happy to pass off the boy to his friends, their hands a natural restraint.

What the hell was he supposed to do with her, though? Eric's scowl was growing more pronounced. Dragging her out of the ring and forcing her to scurry to keep up with his larger stride, he drew them to a stop next to the bleachers. Making eye contact with her, he opened his voice - prepared to reprimand her for her inability to follow orders - when a cold chill ticked up his spine.

Fury had dissolved from her expression. Instead, she was looking.. at…

"Stay," Eric snarled, shoving her at the bleacher seats, before he spun around to stalk away.

He bit back an epithet. "Alright," she murmured, her voice sounding a fucking decade older than her actual age. Eric shuddered. The invitation in the teenager's voice was transparent, and it was one he was more than happy to retreat from.

Quick, long steps drew him to the door-frame of the training area. He could count them from here, Eric decided. No one was going to come near the door.  
The kids in (and around) the arena..yes, they were there. The cluster of dependents by the punching bags hadn't moved. A flurry of movement on the back wall indicated that his next group were there. Finally, satisfaction and a sense of control settled over Eric's shoulders. Everything was under control. The last group were the bleacher kids and they weren't.. going…. to go anywhere?

"Fuck." They hadn't been there when he deposited the other girl there.  
He racked his brain for the memory of what they looked like. A girl? A few girls? No, there had definitely been a boy. Some of the girls, he recognized on the back wall.

But where the hell had the others gone?

"_So_." The word was weighted with implications that Eric didn't even want to consider at the moment. She had finally come back.

He cleared his throat. "Everything's fine," he replied - trying to ignore the fact that his voice sounded a touch defensive.

It was the laugh that did him in. It rolled over him from where she stood behind his shoulder, clearly staring into the room. What she saw that evoked such fucking hilarity, Eric thought sourly, he couldn't say. But something was clearly appealing to her sense of humor.

When he spun around, prepared to demand an explanation, Eric's words died a swift death. He hadn't even managed to get one out. Hindsight - again - indicated that was not a bad thing.

She stood there with two _incredibly_ guilty looking teenagers in front of her. Their lips were swollen. She had a bruise sucked into her neck and it was already blooming into a spectacular array of colors. A studied eye indicated that the boy's shirt had been put on inside out.

The Dauntless woman gave both teenagers a look. They crept into the room, clearly intrigued enough to remain in ear-shot of the conversation that the adults were preparing to have. When she gave them another look though, the eyebrow creeping up in admonishment, they retreated to a side wall, looking properly abashed.

"So," she began again. "Fine."

A muscle ticked in Eric's jaw. "How-" Incredulousness was rife in his voice. The two she had clearly found elsewhere had fallen properly into rank and file. He cleared his throat, his tone leveling out. "Fine."

She laughed.

Stepping out of the doorway, she removed herself from the shadow of Eric's larger physique. Visible to the rest of the room now, she adopted an expression that he wondered if he had when he was counting heads.

"Well, the rest of them are here." She turned to him, an impish grin on her lips. "So yeah. Probably fine. But in the future you might want to think about smaller rooms."

"Absolutely not," Eric refuted. "Not next time. This was-" He paused. His eyes narrowed. Without his voice, the room was absolutely silent. Down to the very last teenager, they had all turned their eyes to the woman who had returned, expectant silence settling over the training room.

The muscle in his jaw ticked again. "No." Before he left though, Eric paused in the door frame. Looking back over his shoulder, he caught her eye. "Try initiates sometime."

Her laugh chased after his escaping form. "Too easy. They have consequences for disobedience."

Eric didn't stay around to argue.

There was no argument to be made.


	6. Lazy Mornings - FourxTris

**A/N: An anon on tumblr requested a sweet Four one-shot. You can find the link to my tumblr on my homepage. It's generally worth checking out. I post some things there exclusively.**

* * *

"Come back to bed."

His voice was thick with sleep as it cut through the quietude of his apartment. Because she was sitting at the windows and looking out over the city, she couldn't see what he looked like. His dark hair was tousled with sleep, his chest bare as sheets pooled in his lap. He propped himself up on one tanned arm to sit up, blearily looking in her direction.

He could see her silhouette, but it was enough to catch the corner of a smile. "Go back to sleep," she whispered quietly. "It's still early."

There was no reply. She believed that he had done so, falling back to the mattress to embrace his own respite from the day.

She hadn't given him enough credit, though. Warm palms rested on her bare shoulders as he stood behind the chair. Neither of them spoke. Neither of them needed to. His fingers played idly with the strap of the tank top she had worn to sleep. His thumb brushed gentle circles against her skin.

It was a good thing it was dark, she thought. He wouldn't be able to see the gooseflesh rising in response to his touch. She leaned into his hands slightly, one of her own reaching up to rest lightly over his. She circled his wrist with her fingers, his pulse a steady beat underneath her fingertips. She realized that his heartbeat was following the same rhythm as hers.

She turned in the chair to look up at him. Trailing both hands up his arms now, his fingers reached down around her slender torso. With an easy motion he lifted her up and instead of fighting, she curled against his chest. He carried her over to the bed but instead of depositing her in the sheets on her own, he slowly sat, cradling her in his lap.

Her arms rested over his as he reclined against the pillows. His legs fell to the outside of hers, his chest warm against her back. It was an alluring type of comfort, she thought, as she turned her cheek against his chest. The lullaby of his heartbeat dragged her back to sleep.


	7. Your Own Choices - Eric

**A/N: Anon prompt who wanted to see bullying done to Eric stopped by a Dauntless who steps in. Extra credit if there's a follow-up, after he's a leader and there's a scene with her. I love chatting with people over on tumblr. You can find the link to my blog on my homepage here!**

* * *

Noise was a common thing outside of the doors to the hub. Dependents passed by to and from their classes and older faction members had various business in the tall building. The daily sounds were almost enough to disguise the commotion.

Almost, but not quite. Children's cheering laughter cut through the deeper adult voices, and it only took a moment to find the culprits. In the shadows of the buildings that rose high above, dust rolled over the road as a child fell to the ground. The boy resolutely did not weep, not even as the older boys (also dressed in Erudite blue) continued to harass the younger child.

It was, from the looks of it, escalating beyond a verbal altercation. The smallest Erudite had been knocked to the ground but even as he hit the road he was struggling to rise to his feet again.

No one could fault him for his tenacity, as the scene repeated itself twice more.

To all appearances it was a pattern that would continue until the older boys grew bored. Their laughter had muted as the exchange became more physical but from the twist of their lips it was clear that the vicious verbal jabs hadn't dissipated in the least. One of the largest of the five boys arrayed on their feet drew his leg back to deliver a solid kick to the child on the ground.

It was an action that was truncated with the utmost abruptness. A hand had fallen down to grasp the nape of his neck, lifting him and shaking him aside as he was forcibly displaced. The rest of the Erudite boys scattered away, although they hadn't run yet.

Maybe they should have. It might have been smarter.

The Dauntless woman's teeth were moon-bright against her dark skin as she smiled, her eyes skewering each of the boys in turn. It wasn't an Amity expression, open and full of kindness. It wasn't even Abnegation polite. It was a baring of teeth, daring them - mere children - to step up to the line that they had drawn when they took it upon themselves to bully their peer.

"Not so brave now," she finally said, voice dripping with scorn. "Not so smart now. Thought Noses like you would've at least had the sense to pay attention when you're busy being little shits."

Down to the very last, each child had frozen at her tone. The hostility was rife in her voice.

"I won't forget your faces. Scram. Now." And left with absolutely no recourse, the five Erudite boys fled.

Only then did she turn her attention to the boy on the ground. It was the matter of seconds and absolutely no effort to lift him up and dust him off. He hadn't wept, she noted with an approving eye. Not even with a lip that was split and an eye that would be gloriously black by tomorrow.

She sighed. Erudite, though. "Don't let them find you when you're alone, kid. Stay in public. Harder to get away with shit there. At least, until you're big enough to fight them off."

He blinked at her, utterly bewildered, before staggering out into the traffic that always seemed to encapsulate the area around the Hub. She watched him go for a moment, before running her hand roughly through her hair. Kids.

_**\- x - x - x -**_

Ten years had treated them both well. He was taller than she was, now, and his figure was heavy with muscle. Tattoos patterned their way down his forearms and the beginning of a pattern had begun to take shape on his neck. Strategic piercings had been placed throughout his face.

Her hair was no longer just the shock of black with blues and purples gleaming in the naturally dark locks. She had greyed in the years that passed, although with specific streaks that made it seem classic instead of incidental. Not even years could take away the musculature of someone who spent decades in Dauntless. It was an edge they never lost, at least, not until their death.

The waterfall's roar was deafening although neither of them seemed to care. Standing over the chasm, their thoughts were inward-looking.

"You told me to stay in public. Harder for people to pull shit when others are watching." Eric's voice was just loud enough to be heard over the water.

She didn't respond immediately. Instead, a wry smile slid over her lips as she leaned her elbows back against the railing over the chasm. Her attention had shifted though, was drawn from her own mind to being focused on the newest Dauntless leader.

"Funny," she replied at last, a quiet huff of air passing for a laugh.

Eric frowned, his muscles flexing as his grip tightened around the metal railing that he held. "What do you mean."

It wasn't a question. He demanded an explanation with all of the natural authority that had made it so easy for the faction to (eventually, she thought, with another snort) justify making him a leader. Dissenters had been thoroughly convinced to see things his way.

She shrugged. "A decade ago, kid. You get to throw those words back at me ten years later. Seems funny, is all. I should know better."

The frown that crept over Eric's face became fearsome, deep Vs over his brows as they furrowed into a scowl. If it had stayed that way, it would have been less disconcerting. Instead, in the blink of an eye his features smoothed out. His eyes were ice as he looked at her, expression impassive.

"You're not running."

"Too old to fight it, kid. But if you're really going to do it, I'm not going to help you. You'll have to own this on your soul and come to peace with it on your own. That's all on you."

There wasn't any use in excuses. Eric had been promoted for a very particular agenda. He knew it best of anyone - but she still had eyes clear enough to see. Erudite coming and going in ways they never had before, Matthews being disquietingly familiar with the young leader. It was writing on the wall, at that point, and it seemed that her luck had run out. She must have been the top of a very long list of suspects.

He wasn't even bothering trying to confirm it. Eradicate the weakness, then.

It must be his own, as well as the faction's. A flurry of motion saw his hands wrapped around her upper arms and it was the matter of seconds to lift her up, up, and over the railing to dangle over the chasm.

She didn't fight, not even as his muscles locked. His fingers dug into her biceps so tightly that she knew there would be bruises. Good luck explaining that.

"It's on you, kid. You made your own choices."


	8. Serendipitous - Jai Courtneyxoc

Notes: Prompt on Tumblr that asked for a Jai/OC encounter set in Toronto. I'm throwing this in my drabble collection because it doesn't really fit anywhere else. You can find me on tumblr at the url paradimflaws -dot- tumblr -dot- com. I'm always open for prompts and requests. I love to hear from people about what they think of my stories!

* * *

February had manifested in its characteristically miserable form: snow, bitter cold, and biting wind created a triumvirate that made the outdoors thoroughly miserable for even the hardiest of individuals. No measure of "well, I have a great coat," or "it's all about having good socks" could redeem the weather for the truly contemptible things that it had been doing.

Even though Toronto had managed to clean itself up after the latest dump of snow the sidewalks (in warmer months, bustling with foot traffic) were almost completely free of individuals. No one seemed inclined to hazard the weather anymore.

Ducking into the coffee shop set things into sharp juxtaposition. The shop was crowded, filled with other refugees from the weather. Toes and fingers tingled uncomfortably as the heat (working overtime) sunk into her bones in short order. The smell of coffee settled into her senses in the way that only coffee really could. Inhaling deeply, she smiled brightly at the barista who recognized her immediately - although as she slid off her hat, the waves of blue hair that fell down to her shoulders were impossible for anyone else to miss, if they were people-watching.

She leaned against the counter, exchanging quiet thanks with the woman who gave her a cup. Wrapping her fingers around it, she ignored the bite of discomfort as heat sank more quickly into the extremities that had gotten so chilled in the duration of her brief walk.

The span of five minutes was all it took for her to see herself made comfortable. A laptop was opened on the table. Her bag was tucked against the wall at her feet. Her drink was being sipped at with the utmost caution: it had only become drinkable in the last minute or so.

Few things would ever be quite so excruciating as a hot beverage scalding layers off of the mouth. It was something that had happened before and it would undoubtedly happen again.

Luck seemed to be on her side. (At least, by one definition of the word.) Her drink didn't burn her and it didn't land in her lap.

That second one had only just become more relevant. She only barely managed not to jump in surprise. In fact, her drink managed to make it back to the table without any mishap. (It was one of those small daily victories that she would always be satisfied to take. Her laptop didn't get spilled on. Her mouth didn't get burned. Things were going well.)

Well…

..Well.

It was figurative, wasn't it?

Still, she could only blink mutely, her mind spinning in a million and one different directions. The expectant expression that the man standing next to her wore made her heart sink. He said something, hadn't he?

Her cheeks flushed. "Sorry, what was that?"

"Mind if I sit?"

She fought to contain the desperate scramble of her brain. It felt like thirty different responses all converged to the forefront of her mind in the same second. "Go ahead," she managed to say after a moment.

The laptop screen served to act as a partition on the small table. She kept her eyes on it although the words that she had been typing blurred into non-recognition as panic whirled through her brain. What even—?

"It's cold as hell," he swore, leaning back into the chair that he had pulled out for himself. "Right," he continued, his attention on her now. "Sorry about that. Don't mean to interrupt."

She noticed that his one hand was large enough to completely dwarf the coffee that he was drinking. Blinking back to attention, her gaze ducked back to the screen. After a moment, she reached out to shut the laptop, sticking it back in the bag at her feet. With more space on the table, he had put his drink down - although stretching out and taking up space wasn't something that he was shy about.

"No worries." Her reply was stilted as she fought back bemusement. What on earth was going on?

He laughed and his smile lightened his entire expression. "I'm Jai," he began again, leaning on the edge of the table. "This might seem like an odd question but I'm a desperate man. D'you know where I can get a burger?"

For a moment she just stared. Incredulousness flittered around in her mind as the seconds ticked past. Finally, she laughed - and it was as relaxed as she had been since she came into the coffee shop. A grin changed her features entirely as warmth crept into her expression.

"I can do you one better," she informed him adroitly. "I can show you."


	9. Blink - Ericxoc

**Notes: Tumblr prompt, Eric/oc staring contest. You can find me over there under the username paradigmflaws - feel free to drop by and chat. I'm always accepting prompts and requests.  
**

* * *

"Twenty points on Eric."

The man next to him jeered, shoving an elbow into his ribcage. They tussled for a moment before the two separated. Shoving his shoulder against his friend, the second man snorted.

"You'd need to be Amity to take that bet, idiot." He rolled his eyes. "Who the hell would bet against Eric?"

As a whole, a crowd of Dauntless members was always going to be a restive affair. This seemed to be no different. No one seemed capable of standing still. Elbows nudged one another as hips shoved other people out of their space. Arms slung over shoulders in a relaxed manner as everyone clustered closer. No one was willing to give up a front row seat.

Only two people seemed completely unperturbed. Eric was a familiar figure, the sharp black of his tattoos standing out in stark relief against his skin, even in the dim light of Dauntless at night. Sitting across from him, she seemed completely relaxed.

It was an unusual sight. Normally when someone was faced with that particular expression on Eric's face they were too busy trying to figure out how to get out of his sight as quickly as possible. She seemed unperturbed by his scrutiny.

Zeke's laugh was distinct, even among the Dauntless. "Screw you," he told the two who had tried to find takers for a bet. "I'll take it. Fifty points on her - I think Eric's gonna lose."

His words were loud enough to reach the two contestants in the rather impromptu staring contest. Her brow arched as Eric's features settled into a deep scowl of displeasure. "Gonna pay for that," he replied coolly even as his gray eyes remained fixed to on hers.

"_Fifty_ points?!" His voice broke in his indignant squawk.

Zeke smiled brightly. "Only a pansycake makes such a pathetic bet like twenty."

A chorus of hoots erupted at the casual way the young Dauntless man had handled that. The bet was accepted - there was no way to back out of it.  
Her laugh was casual. "Glad someone's got faith," she commented. There was an ache in her eyes from the dryness. It wasn't enough to reach the point of discomfort but it was noticeable.

"Whatever," another person - who had wanted to bet on Eric but found no one willing to bet against. "If you think that you can out-wait _Eric_ -"

Eric blinked.

"I do. And I did."

The smugness in her voice was enough to evoke a dark grumble from the Dauntless leader, as he shoved himself into a stand. The furor of the crowd around them abruptly died. Only Zeke seemed implacable in his crowing satisfaction. Glaring at the cluster of people, it was only after they scattered - abruptly - that he wheeled around to look at her again.

She had lifted herself to her feet, dusting her hands off on her thighs. "My reward," she commented. "You'll be excusing me from the bogus tour with Amity next week, thank you very much. As, er, delightful as I find your company, you can go on your own."


	10. Crossed Wires - Jai Courtneyxoc

**A/N: This was a tumblr prompt that asked for ofc kissing Jai, who didn't seem into it-she plays it cool, and then he finds her later to clear some things up. You can find me over on tumblr under the username paradigmflaws. There's a direct link on my profile here! I'd love for you to drop by and say hello.**

* * *

After an afternoon of baking in the sun, the stone of the patio was radiating heat. Even though the early summer night was cool, it was still comfortable enough to sit outside and drink. It was a beautiful evening and it hadn't gone overlooked. She leaned back in her chair as an index finger traced swirls into the condensation on her copper mug. Evening light cast everything in red.

"Hope you enjoyed playing hookey," she ventured at last. Even as she spoke she didn't take her eyes off the horizon. "I can't imagine a nicer day for it."

The roof-top bar left a beautiful view of sunlight gleaming on Lake Michigan. Chicago spanned in both directions to either side of them, and behind as well but in front of them it seemed like it faded right into the lakeshore. 

The man beside her laughed as he raised his beer - still in the bottle. She clinked her mug against it as they both drank. "Bit of a bite to it," Jai continued as he put his glass down, miming a shiver.

She rolled her eyes, shoulder shoving into his. Their chairs were close enough that his thigh bumped against her knee. Neither of them had been willing to sacrifice the view.

"You," she accused as she snickered, "are entirely too cold-blooded. It was beautiful!"

Both drinks had been finished. What seemed to be an inevitable conclusion to the evening was creeping ever nearer. Not even sipping the last dregs from a bottle of beer could delay it.

He heaved himself to his feet. "Australian, sweetheart," Jai retorted.

She laughed. "I thought they were supposed to be hardy. You must be spending too much time in LA."

As she pulled herself to her feet, it seemed a mutual thing that they meandered towards the elevator together. A light shove to her shoulder sent her skipping forward, but she retaliated by catching a foot behind his ankle as he caught up. Neither of them fell, but neither of them could refrain from laughing at their own antics.

"Oi!" He was faux-indignant. "I worked hard for that visa, I'll have you know!"

Her hand rested on his forearm. If it had been sincere, it might have been soothing. In this context, though, it was only an extension of the play between them.

Jai seemed aware of it as well. "Having a go at me all evening," he said, the heavy resignation a poor attempt when even he couldn't keep himself from grinning.

She shrugged, sliding into the elevator first. He pushed the button for his floor. She selected the lobby.

"If you're going to be so boring, I might as well amuse myself somehow."  
The horseplay continued even as the elevator opened. It was only Jai's hand at her waist that kept her from tripping headlong into it as the doors opened and they entered. Ribbing between the two of them seemed incessant, although the good spirit that it was taken in was clear.

In the confined space of the elevator, though, things seemed to calm down. He didn't remove his hand, even as his palm burned hotly through the thin material of her summer shirt. She seemed comfortable enough leaning into him, the conversation on a quieter bend now - although to call it serious would be false.

She snickered. "At least they don't put fake lip piercings on you."

Jai's eyebrow raised. "They already glue enough crap to my face. What'd be one more?"

Her eyes rolled again as she straightened. "Not gonna go Mara Rooney, hm? That was dedication. Talk about going full-tilt into character, getting pierced."

His hand rubbed against his jaw. The rasp of a day's worth of stubble was soft but tangible in the quiet of the elevator. They were nearing his floor. "I'm sure that'd go over well. Nothing like a lip piercing to make 'em lose their minds."  
Neither of them could contain their laughter.

"I don't know," she replied, straightening and turning to consider him thoughtfully. "It might work against your appeal. Whatever it is."

It was the tease that finally prompted him to movement. He reached out, drawing her close. Her indignant exclamation didn't stay his movement, even as her hands rested on his chest. He had lifted her up, keeping her suspended in his arms.

"Whatever it _is_?" His repetition was incredulous, although teasingly so.

She looked down at him. "Yeah," she repeated, leaning down. "Whatever that is." 

Maybe it was insanity, she thought. A temporary lapse in good judgement. Or it was the mule that decided to finally pack a kick, thoroughly stamping out any objection as to why she shouldn't do this. 

Whatever the reason (and she would never be able to identify it other than need,) her lips pressed lightly against his. It was, all things considered, a relatively chaste kiss. His arms were tight around her, keeping her close, as she leaned closer, coaxingly. 

…But he didn't respond. 

A jolt of embarrassment threaded through her as she straightened and he let her go. Thank god, she thought, that his floor was next. 

She laughed, a hand waving in the air. "Like I said," she repeated as the doors dinged open. A hip prompted him into movement. "Whatever it is. I'm sure you have it. Somewhere." 

He was quiet as the doors shut, and a rock sank in her stomach. At least he had smiled, the stirrings of a laugh on his lips. 

"Fuck." 

She sagged against the elevator for the rest of the long descent to the ground floor. Thank god her stay had been booked in a different hotel. The idea of having to get off on the same floor with him was excruciating. At least she had played it off decently, she thought, even as she stepped out into the Chicago evening. 

At the lower level, the sunlight didn't penetrate and the wind had picked up.  
She shivered, drawing her arms close to her. It was just the cold, she told herself - as she ignored the hard lump of anxiety that gathered tightly in her breast. 

_It was a condition that she would have been_ more than happy to nurse for eternity, had she been given the chance. She would be working with the extras for a series of big shots. The calendar had marked the next three days for it, with the potential to run over. The fact that she could - without guile - say that she really was busy doing other things, not just avoiding him - was a comfortable balm to her soul. 

Or her mortification. 

Both worked. 

The first day had passed without incident. She had only seen Jai in passing and had managed her characteristic grin in his direction. He had been ushered off in another direction and she breathed a sigh of relief. 

It was a pattern that repeated on the second day, and then the third. Her good natured temperament remained a lauded mask to hide behind and her easygoing acknowledgement of his presence, even though she hadn't had the opportunity to speak with him, belied the agonizing embarrassment that swelled in her breast at the thought of their last encounter. 

She was more than content to stay in her room. The bottled water in her hand crunched as she gripped it too tightly. Looking down at the plastic, she blinked and placed it back on the table. 

Sleep. It was a safe decision, one that came with no awkward ramifications. The sky outside her window was dark, more than enough justification for the option to be a viable one. 

Shaking her hair out of the braid that it had been woven into after her shower, she drew the blinds shut. Changing into the long shirt that proved serviceable (if inelegant) sleepwear, only the light at her bedside was left on as she sat on the edge of the mattress. The book on the side-table would provide sufficient distraction until her mind was lulled into quietude. 

How much time had passed, she couldn't say. 

It was as dark as it had been when she had tucked herself in. The light blazed, bright in the dimness of the room but not bright enough to sting her eyes. She blinked again, rubbing them. The book fell from her chest, where it had rested after she dozed off. 

A knock on the door sounded again. 

The bedside clock flashed 11:17 P.M. and her mind, sluggish to wake, wondered if something had happened. Lurching to her feet, she staggered towards the door. Shivering at the coolness of the artificial climate, she leaned against her door, trying to wake up enough to find her brain. Or her coordination. Both would be preferable. 

"Who is it?" Her hand stopped on the locks, waiting to throw them open. 

His voice was quiet through the door. No name was necessary, the tone was heart-rendingly familiar. 

Even as she tried to buy time for herself, it seemed like the chain was taken off the door in a nanosecond. The deadbolt was next, and then the lock flipped.

Turning the knob, she stepped back as she opened the door, looking up at him. 

Well, she tried. The hallway lighting was bright to eyes that were acclimatized to a darker interior. 

"Jai?" No. Wrong - it shouldn't have come out as a question. She knew it was him. "What's up?" Still not right. 

"Is something wrong?" 

Her voice was low, thick and raspy from sleep and silence, and it was more than enough to draw his attention to it. The time, her voice, the way her eyes squinted in the light - she had been sleeping and guilt was a tangible thing on his expression. 

"Fuck," he exhaled, his voice quieter than normal. "Sorry. I didn't mean to, that is I-" and he paused himself, as he seemed to struggle with the phrasing in much the same way she did. "D'you mind if I come in? I didn't mean to wake you but I don't know if we'll really have the time later." 

Time? She blinked. "The only time I'm able to think about right now is the fact that it's bedtime," she groused, although she stepped back again, opening the door wider. 

It was a silent invitation and more than enough for Jai. He entered the room and took the door from her, shutting it quietly behind him. More lights clicked on in the room as she flipped a switch. By the time he turned around, her hip was propped against the desk in the room, arms folded against her abdomen as she shivered again. 

"What's going on, Jai?" Her voice was clearer now, sleep-muddled haziness fading from her eyes. 

He rested a shoulder against the wall, leaning back in a facsimile of comfort. His hands were shoved into his pockets, an awkward position that she didn't think she recalled him adopting often. 

"We need to talk." It was an uncharacteristic seriousness that he had adopted and she reacted to it, tensing. "I wanted to talk to you about the other day." 

Her hand waved through the air in a sharp motion. It was a physical indication, a gesture meant to cut him off as her own mind kicked into hyper-drive. 

A light laugh preceded her words. "It's nothing, Jai," she began, her voice steady and composed. "Fun between friends, right?" 

It wasn't enough to dissuade him. He knew her well enough to recognize this - and he felt like an ass for not having seen it sooner. She was defensive, protecting herself against a rejection that she had braced to anticipate.

Preempting it was the best way she knew to head it off and if it hadn't been directed at him, he would have applauded the attempt. 

"No." 

She jolted as if she had been hit with a static shock. "Excuse me?" 

Jai straightened, his hands coming out of his pockets. "No. It's not fun between friends. I'm an ass for not letting you know, but I thought that it was all you wanted. That kiss?" He grinned, an echo of boyish charm lingering on his features and her hard edges fought to soften. "Surprised the hell out of me, sweetheart. I didn't ever let myself think that you would. I thought I was imagining it." 

He took a step forward and the stride was enough to bring him within arm's reach of her. His palm settled around her elbow, gently drawing her nearer.

He saw the gooseflesh dotting her arms, and wrapped his around her, pulling her into his chest. A broad hand settled at her back, rubbing up and down gently. 

"That wasn't rejection. I was just too damn surprised to breathe, let alone react." 

Her eyes lifted cautiously to his. He knew that look, the reserve, the assessment, as if she could peer into his soul to test the veracity of his statement. Jai's smile was soft, a measure of sincerity that took the hard edges and intimidation away from the man. 

And then she laughed, and he felt like he could breathe. Her head fell forward to rest against his chest. "God, I was mortified," she groaned, her hands cautiously coming to rest on his waist. 

He squeezed her lightly. "Picked up on that. And then you were avoiding me and fuck - don't do that again, because you're impossible to find when you don't want to be. I've been running around like an idiot trying to catch two seconds with you for the last three days." 

"I was busy!" Her protest was an indignant one. 

One of his forearms settled at the small of her back. His other hand swept up her spine to cradle the back of her head lightly. Gently, he coaxed her into looking up at him and when she finally did, he grinned. 

"I know. You're very good at finding ways to be busy very, very far away from someone." 

Heat colored her cheeks. Even in the darkness and the artificial lighting he could see the blush, knew it stained her cheeks and trailed down her neck. Did it go any further? 

In one motion he drew her up against him as he leaned down around her. She felt as if he surrounded her but instead of being daunting, she just felt warm.

The anxiety from the past few days was unknotting, unraveling and dissipating into nothingness. Every touch, every word did a little more to assuage it. 

When Jai spoke next, his voice was quiet and rough. "Let's have another go at it. I promise not to fuck it up this time." 

And so they did. And he didn't.


End file.
